No drawings or sketches today, but lots of references! I began thinking on the various non-human details I wanted to incorporate into the Siren's appearance and personality, creating a massive list of creatures that I streamlined into 14 different creatures, not including the central human template.
Piranha: The first thing I went straight for were the sharp teeth, so eerily arranged in a human like manner in their jaw. While looking on Pinterest for reference images, I came across a picture of the skeleton, and found they have this real cool looking head fin that's normally concealed under the skin, which to me looks like the perfect template for the head fin I wanted to include on her head.
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
Rainbow Boa: I was planning on using snake like scales [very liberally] for the skin texture, and then I came across this snake, which has an incredible iridescence that gives it a rainbow sheen, and I new I had to at least try and incorporate that into her design!
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
Bengal Tiger: For both the general hunting technique, attacking by leaping and grasping with powerful claws, and also the stripe pattern, which to me strongly indicates a predatory nature, the colors will be more diverse and brighter than a tiger's.
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
Gray Wolf: I chose the gray wolf more for the pack mentality and hierarchy that a group of sirens would use [yes, there are more than one sirens, though how many may appear in my planned project is up to debate], but I also found this cool image that has such an intelligent yet wild look that I'd love to capture in the siren's visage.
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
Stoat: A strange choice, but worst case scenario, if I can't make my siren sexy, at the very least I hope to make her cute, and the stoat is probably the most adorable predator you'll ever see. In fact I've seen them around the farm where I live, for a while there I was worried for the safety of the chickens after learning stoats frequently attack animals several times their size.
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
Leopard Seal: One of the fiercest and most deadly seals on Earth, they are also one of the coolest, with a sleek design and a head that looks like a mix between a dog and a dinosaur! They also have one Hell of a bite, thanks to their strong jaws and three pronged teeth, the former between the main element referenced along with the generally sleekness for swimming.
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
Poison Dart Frog: Obviously I want the siren to be something that is beautiful but dangerous, and in nature bright colors are almost universally associated with toxic danger. The poison dart frog is practically the symbol of this principle, and I wanted to try and capture the contrasting color, and blend them with the striped and spotted patterns from the Bengal tiger and leopard seal.
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
Black Mamba: The fastest and nearly most venomous snakes in the world, the main attribute I wanted to capture is the unusual color of the mouth. While I'm not planning on the inside of her mouth being black, I am planning on a color different from red that would stand out against whatever colors her body ends up. [Interesting how seemingly unassuming and docile the black mamba looks like when its mouth is closed, isn't it?]
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
Great White Shark: What on Earth could I take from something so massive as a great white shark? Well, turns out they have very unique talent that would help give my siren a extra level of intimidation, in the form of a jaw capable of partially distending outside of the skull, giving the shark greater reach for the jaw, allowing it to take an even bigger bite out of its prey. I really wanted to do something that would allow my siren to look beautiful one moment, than horrifying the next, without having to resort to morphing her face, but rather having a natural physical trait that seamlessly chances the appearance when needed.
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
Crested Newt: I was looking around for a creature besides a fish with a form of a fin on its back, and I then remembered the crested newt, a salamander with a spectacular ridge along its back that, while not exactly what I'm looking for, is a good enough template to start off with. Other elements of the newt's appearance will probably be used, after all it is an amphibian, which is essentially what the siren is, just more built for living in salt water.
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
Siamese Fighting Fish: I already posted some images of this fish [found the name for them finally!], and now the elements I plan on focusing on is the colorful and flowing fins, for the sirens "hair" and fins. The siren is hairless, but she has flowing hair formed from a modified set of fins or fibers, not sure exactly how to pull them off yet. The fins on the back, head, and arms will be stiffer and retractable.
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
Domestic Cat: Always there was going to be a feline element, mostly intended in her mannerisms and the fact that she likes to play with her intended victims before actually getting to the killing them part. I also decided that the eyes of a cat are perfect to reflect the dual nature of the playful beauty and lurking predator.
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
Dromaeosaurs [raptors]: Probably the trickiest to include, after all its an animal that's been extinct for millions of years. Ultimately I decided I needed a bipedal predator to reference for the actual stance and primary movements of the siren, since I realized that modeling her movements off of any other animal exclusively wouldn't work, the anatomy just wouldn't permit it. This first pick in particular is what I consider the way she moves, especially once all pretense is abandoned and she's stalking her prey. I also plan to incorporate movements and vocalizations of birds, obviously because they're the only real living analog for a dinosaur, plus the whole siren myth always associated the sirens with birds, so I need to reference that somewhere in her design [I also like the idea that the fins on her arms resemble the feathers we always see on velociraptors these days in art].
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
75% of original size (was 669x19) - Click to enlarge
All in all, I without a doubt have plenty of inspiration now for the final design of the siren, I just need to get off my ass and actually do it! Still, I'm very excited to see what she will finally look like when I'm done.